


Every family got their skeletons

by lovesynlikeasin



Series: Toujours Pur [3]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Arranged Marriage, Daddy Issues, F/M, Family Secrets, Infidelity, Mommy Issues, Suicide
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-03
Updated: 2019-05-03
Packaged: 2020-02-16 17:14:08
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,742
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18695836
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lovesynlikeasin/pseuds/lovesynlikeasin
Summary: Rabastan LeStrange stumbles across a piece of information which will change his life forever. Information his aunt deems him old enough to know by now.





	Every family got their skeletons

"You look awfully lot like him, you know?" Rabastan's eyes tore themselves away from the painting, turning to his aunt. Despite being almost an adult now, Rabastan felt like a toddler being caught stealing candy. "The only reason that painting is still up there and not burned to ashes is because I enchanted it. Which I presume is why you're looking guilty by being caught in this room." His aunt's lips were twisted in a knowing smile, as if she could answer all of his questions. Rabastan did feel guilty though. This room had been banned since he was born. He never knew why, and he had asked Rudy about it too, but he didn't know either. It was a completely regular room. There were family portraits, couches, hell; even an old bottle of whiskey. But it was dusty and off limit. 

Though neither brother had managed to keep away from the room. They both had felt the consequences for it too. Rudy had staid away after that but Rabastan couldn't quite do that. It was almost as if the room was calling out for him. He had expected his aunt to react like his father would, but instead she took a seat in one of the couches, wrinkling her nose in disgust as clouds of dust surrounded her. "Bring us the bottle of whiskey, please." she commaneded him. His aunt was a weird type of Lestrange. She just didn't fit with the rest of his family. She was fierce and very much a proud pure blood witch, but there was also warmth and glee radiating from her. "Tell me boy, how many times have you been standing here staring at that portrait?" Far too many. 

Rabastan's eyes found the portrait as if on instinct, as he reached for the bottle and a couple of glasses. It was very much like staring into the mirror, expect the man in the picture has something gleeming in his eyes. "Why isn't it moving?" he asked eventually. His aunt snickered and waved her hand as if it was the most obvious thing ever. "Because your father put a spell on it. After I made it impossible to remove, he made sure it was nothing more than a pesky muggle portrait. Only use of is to stare at." Rabastan didn't seem less confused. As is aunt patted at the seat next to her, he obeyed and poured himself a whiskey. 

"The man on the picture is Kol LeStrange. Your uncle, and my brother." Rabastan's expression of confusion only grew bigger. What? Why had nobody ever told him about his uncle? It did seem like a regular thing to speak of. He wondered if Rudy knew about this. And almost as if his aunt could read his mind; "I doubt Rudy remember him. He died before you were even born. If Rudy were to have a memory of him, it's nothing but a vague flashes of a abnoxious, loud and rash man. Barely a man actually. In more ways than one." 

Rabastan looked upon the portrait once more. There were no doubt in the two of them being related, certainly. This Kol figure had visible differences from himself. He appeared to be lankier, smaller, his face more pointed. On his neck there seemed to be a picture of something, in his skin. Yet, their resemblances was striking. 

"Kol was the youngest of us. Your father being the oldest. You know your father. He's bit of a mad man. Which LeStrange is not? But Kol, he was...a monster. He was a monster you just couldn't resist loving. Even you-know-who never knew where he had him. He would do his dirty work. Work no one had the guts to do. He was careless, without remorse, without guilt." The faint smile on her lips twisted slightly. "Actually, he was a really horrible person. But he was the best brother you could ask for." 

Rabastan swallowed a large gulp of whiskey, the burning sensation being pleasant. "What happened?" It shouldn't really as interesting to him, but he felt as if this was a important thing. The way his aunt behaved told him there were more to this than a simple dead family member. 

"Your mum, Rab. And merlin bless that woman, I miss her every day, but she brought hell into this family." at the mention of his mother, he couldn't help but flinch. And his aunt, speaking of her so casually. He found himself pouring a new drink. God knows he needed it. 

"When your mum was promised to your father, there was no issues. I wouldn't say it was a match made in heaven per say, but it worked. Your father didn't really care and your mother, well, what was she supposed to do? She accepted her life." the older woman sighed. There was still a smile across her face but it was a sad smile. Or perhaps a bittersweet smile was a better way to phrase it. "But when your uncle came home from a long time mission everything went south to say the least. You see, Kol, he showed interest in your mother. And I'm not talking about murderous interest, which would usually apply to him. No, he showed her a genuine interest. Actually, I honestly think he fell for that woman. Your mother though, she knew her duty was to marry your father. And beside, the mere thought of getting involved with Kol scared her, no matter how charming he could be. Kol was too reckless, too, well, dangerous. She wasn't a fool, she knew her husband to be was dangerous as well. He was a death eater, and he had blood on his hands. He had used the unforgivable curses. The problem was that when Kol used the unforgivable curses, he was giving his victims mercy." 

Rabastan held his eyes on the painting as his aunt kept on talking about his uncle. His aunt finished her glass and sighed. This time it was a sad sigh. Really sad. Rabastan tore his eyes away from the painting and onto his aunt and he had a bad feeling. "Your father though, he really wasn't the best...husband material. Hell, I guess you know that he's not exactly father material either." a bitter sweet smile and it felt heavy in Rab's stomach. "He was a piece of shit to your mom. The entire time she was pregnant with Rudy, he was out drinking or sleeping around. When he actually was home he would make your mom feel like shit. He controlled her, undermined her, just, plain out cruel." It hurt. It hurt to know. Rabastan had been without his mom since he was a child and nobody had ever said it straight out. That his father was a piece of shit to her as well. People never dared to talk about his parents relationship. Hell, they barely spoke of her. She was afterall the pureblood witch with the nerves to take her own life. Rabastan had always wanted to know more about his mom but no one would ever tell him anything. And now it just hurt. A lot, to hear about it. 

"That's when everyone favorite LeStrange stepped in. When your father would push your mother down, Kol was always there to lift her up again. She really did try to avoid him and his.. advances. How can you blame her though? He was the only one kind to her. I tried to be kind but it wasn't really sonething I mastered really well." His aunt continued to tell Rab about how his uncle courted his mom, and it felt strange. It was as if a part of him was cheering on his uncle. It hurt, y'know. To hear that his mother most certainly didn't have a good marriage. It wasn't like Rabastan had ever expected that his parents had been happily married. His father was a monster. How could someone love him? It still hurt to hear though. 

"Why didn't she....leave my father then? I mean, they could of made it work somehow?" The young LeStrange didn't hear his own frustration. His aunt did though. She gave her nephew a pointed stare. "You know, deep down, what happened." She was right. Matter of fact, Rabastan had always known somehow he had been living a lie. Now? The missing pieces of the puzzle called his life came to him. 

"He's my...my..?" The words just didn't seem to let go. "Yeah, Rab. Kol is your father. As your mother fell harder into a pit of desperation, she also fell harder and harder for Kol. No matter how terrifying the man could be, he was the only one able to keep her spirit up. After she gave birth to Rudy, it just got worse. Your father, he was....a god damn bastard. He used and abused your mother on a daily basis. I'm still blaming myself for not daring to do something." His aunt seemed genuine. She would forever hate herself for being a coward. 

"Your father grew suspicious. But it was bearable. It was when he busted them....Bloodier fight has there never been in this household. Curses were thrown back and forth. Both men were by the end so badly damaged they could barely walk. If that could only be the end of it. We never expected him to kill Kol. They were brothers. I knew they hated each other but willing to kill each other? I never expected that. After that....well, after a half year your mother gave birth to a beautiful boy. You. Rabastan LeStrange, the mystery child. Who was your father? Your mother knew better but she kept insisting it wasn't Kol's." Rabastan felt his heart beat faster. This was just too much. Everything. How was he gonna....This was why his father hated him? Because he wasn't even his actual goddamn father? No....his biological father had been brutally murdered by the man who he belived to be his daddy dearest. This was utterly fucked up. 

"No wonder she killed herself." Rabastan uttered dryly. Before cracking up laughing. It was a loud laughter. Desperate laughter. The kind of laughter that only came forward when shit was real fucking bad. "For once I don't blame her." 

A string was tugged in his aunt's heart. Because she could only hear her brother's laugh now. God how she missed her baby brother.

**Author's Note:**

> just for those interested. ash stymest is the face for kol.


End file.
